Carrie Brown

Carrie Brown: I’m an {ex-professional} pastry-chef-turned-cookbook-author-recipe-developer-freelance-photographer with a crazy, 4-country, 3-continent-spanning resume which includes such things as a chocolate TV show, a chocolate cookbook, and making pastries for the Queen of England. I trained at the National Bakery School in London and have now turned my pastry chef talents to creating scrumptious KETO / LowCarb / LCHF food to help the world eat smarter, live better, and put the health back into healthy.

Here on my blog I share tales of food, travel, and adventure from my splendid single life, as well as my trials and triumphs with Bi-polar Disorder, Adrenal Fatigue, a massive E-coli infection, a myriad of food sensitivities, Lyme Disease, and my journey back to slim and vibrant.

Here’s a few cliff-notes: British American living in Connecticut, having been a Seattle resident for 17 years. Love eating. Have an accent like crack (apparently). Go on {very} long, crazy road-trips regularly. Live with a couple of large cameras, a pile of cats (Zebedee, Daisy, and Mr. McHenry. RIP Chiko, Dougal, Florence, and Penelope), & a ridiculous amount of cocoa powder. Have a propensity for driving on anything that even vaguely resembles a dirt road – especially if it is not marked on a map. Think leeks are the finest vegetable on earth. Adore daffodils. Dream about eating expeditions in Paris & Bruges. Couldn’t do a push-up if my life depended on it. Driving solo for 14 hours straight is pretty much nirvana-on-wheels to me. Wear a lot of black & white…that’s how my brain works too. Like to get up at 4 am to photograph the sunrise and be first in line for breakfast. Believe that chia seeds are proof that God exists. Go completely gaga over the scent of roses. Known for my disarming honesty & openness: I say it how it is. Especially about me. Just to be clear though, it’s not always rainbows and unicorns.

And there’s more: Black Cherry Amaretto Lassi is delicious. My Seattle kitchen was yellow, like butter. Believe Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar could cure a lot of the world’s ills. Have a fondness for sitting on the edge of large bodies of water. Avid label reader. Non-swimmer. Sunshine gets me {very} happy. Refuse to use a microwave unless it’s a National Emergency (or my coffee goes cold). Have a secret crush on tractors. I. LOVE. VEGGIES. Do not have a TV. Recently added a confusing amount of pink to my wardrobe, and made friends with my local police sergeant. You never know when you might need a burly cop to come to the rescue. Consistently failed Mind Reading 101. Crazy about smoked trout; and white. Hopeless at sewing. Instigated a kitchen-wide ban on all plastic containers. Never leave home without six 72-hour kits in the car. Think Cauliflower Cheese is the bomb. Have a love-hate relationship with exercise, Sunmaid Raisin Bread, and my therapist. Would drive a really long way for really great food – and do, often. Eat duck fat regularly. I have a completely ridiculous schedule and half the time I swear I don’t know my a** from my elbow. Nevertheless, I am * in LOVE * with my life. It’s a little bit of crazy with a whole lot of sane.

However, no {wo}man is an island. Shout-outs below.

Geoff Nyheim – without you, these food, travel & photography passions would still just be buzzing around inside me. You gave me the most precious gift of time, even though that made life more difficult for you. You selflessly pushed me to follow my dreams & expand my talents when it was entirely not in your best interests to do so. I don’t think you understand the impact that you have had on every area of my life over the last 4 years. Everyone needs a Chief Cheerleader. I had to wait a lot of years for mine, but once you showed up, it changed my life, entirely. I believe that I can do anything, because you told me so. Your presence will reverberate throughout the rest of my life. You also rave about my ice cream, my art & my food blog to anyone who will listen.

Marc Levine – I would not be here without you. My life would not look anything like it does now if not for your influence in my life. You hold my feet to the fire in a way that no one else has ever been brave enough to do. You challenge me, you tell me when I am being ridiculous, and you tell me who I really am. I am who I am because of your persistence and love.

Christian Wylde – for giving me the time & freedom to balance my life in such a way that I can focus on my passions as well as fulfil the role I do for you. I couldn’t not do any of this without your unquestioning support. Plus, you know I’m a PITA and you embrace it. Or roll your eyes at it and move on. Either way, you’re one fantastic human and I’m incredibly lucky to have you in my life.

Mark – you always get wildly excited about everything that I ever cook for you & that is the best encouragement & inspiration to carry on. We share a passion for {great} food that I am sure started with a box of chicken & chips in the back seat of the car when we were young children. Either that or the infamous apricot teabread & blocks of frozen spinach committed us to developing extraordinarily finely tuned palates & a desire for excellence in all things “food”. You also introduced me to “the Chinky” for which I will be forever grateful.

John Marchant – you believed in me & mentored me when the entire staff of the National Bakery School just thought I was the biggest pain in the a**. Which I was. But you took that attitude & talent & pointed it in all the right directions & I became the Top Student in the Country for my graduating year. You also taught me how to crack crab claws & gave me permission to eat with my fingers in public.

Bob Neal – you taught me to stop living life by only following the rules, to stop cooking by only following the recipes & to stop looking at the world through only my parents eyes. If there was anyone that set me on the road to adventure, it was you. I would never have jumped out of an airplane if you hadn’t been on the ground cheering me on. I would never have followed my passions if you hadn’t given me the idea & the courage. And you once gave me 14 chocolate Aero bars hidden inside your {fabulous} pottery. They are the best chocolate bars I’ve ever had. And that pot is proudly sitting in my lounge.

Rick & Teresa Lukens – You gave me an opportunity that I doubt anyone else ever would have; and you were always so incredibly enthusiastic about every recipe on every show that we ever did together. I am still making those chocolate treats I created for you…they are some of my favorites. “We love it when cb comes – she talks so cute & she always brings chocolate”.

Alisen Peterson – you are a ROCK. You help me in so many ways I don’t even know where to start. You get excited about every last little thing that I do & I can’t thank you enough for that enthusiasm. You also roast a most fantastic chicken. And your pork ribs are ridiculous.

Larry & Susan Shaw – you read my foodie ramblings religiously, every single time I post one word. You are also so willing to try new {weird} foods, cook different ways & eat things you either never knew existed or would never dreamed of trying before. Larry, you are also the best griller I know.

Miss Kathy – you have been one of my biggest supporters & encouraged & inspired me to just keep on going. You got excited about every last little thing that I did & I can’t thank you enough for that enthusiasm. You also consumed a lot of {great} food simply to further my little food blog.

Karen Wright-You are such a refreshing talent!! Who’d have known the ‘chocolate’ guru could shoot!! Congratulations on this marvelous site and following the feet of your passion. May you find your beauty hanging on many, many walls!ReplyCancel

Maria Toole -Dearest beautiful and talented friend,
You ROCK! this is just amazing! We are so proud of you :) Most we are proud you are in our life. Love ya! Maria and Mike TooleReplyCancel

Claudia Anderson -This is the first blog where I have posted a comment for personal, not professional reasons. I look forward to reading about your new SANE food discoveries.ReplyCancel

carrie-THANK YOU, Claudia! I really appreciate you taking time to post a note.ReplyCancel

Lorrie Walter -Wow, first time for me reading thru your ENTIRE set of sites, photos, blogs and every little piece i could get my hands on this evening. I’ve know you for what seems like forever and have always believed in every thing you do as your talent and motivation are never ending and make us all want to be better folks. So I cannot believe after all this time, i’ve just sat down and gotten to know you in a truly different way. I love every bit and will be one of your avid followers.
Oh and trust me, if you miss a day, a photo post or new recipe I’ll let you know. :-)
hugs to you my dear and all that you do so unselfishly so that others can thrive.ReplyCancel

Sally -Hi Carrie, i am a good ol fashioned essex girl based in brentwood uk! (Not sure if this is relevent but hey!) I would be interested to know what your thoughts on cheddar/stilton are? Sane? Not sane? That is the question! XReplyCancel

carrie-Sally – this is why I love Bailor. “Eat as much cheese as you need to keep you happy”. :-)) Hi, Essex!!ReplyCancel

Rewi -Jonathan has a great way of explaining what I haven’t been able to get my head around. I’ve known for a year or so,how stuffed up our diet has become, without us knowing or been told the truth!! Having stumbled onto your podcast has made my understanding of where I want my diet to be at… very clear! SANE food for me… However ( this is where you come in) Carrie, your input into the podcast is the link that I needed. So many times you have asked the exact question I was thinking! Plus you add much needed humour ( no offence Jon)Is there a cook book yet?ReplyCancel

carrie-THANK YOU, Rewi! We’re so happy you found us and filled in the blanks for yourself :-) Cook book is in the works! In the meantime you will find tons of SANE recipes here.ReplyCancel

joy -I tried to make chessy muffins but they didn’t turn out very well. I think it’s because your recipe calls for ounces of ingredients rather than tablespoons. Does 1 ounce of an ingredient equal 2 tablespoons, like in ‘traditional’ recipes or is there a different way to measure?
Thank you
Please replyReplyCancel

carrie-Hi Joy – you cannnot successfully convert weights to volume for dry ingredients, as you found out :-( 1 ounce of ground almonds is a differnt volume to 1 ounce of xylitol, or any other dry ingredient. For consistent baking success you need to weigh, which is why all the baking recipes are written that way. Hope that helps!ReplyCancel

Robbie -Hi Carrie, Thanks for sharing and being you. Big Spirit Hug for quick healing! My eldest daughter suffers from seizures, it is discomforting, and for me comforting at the same time , that we don’t know any more than we do about the brain. I appreciate what you have done and continue to do. I found you and John from different threads, the serendipity of finding you working together was very reaffirming. I played with your chocolate milk syrup recipe to make Mexican hot chocolate this morning. Needs more polish before publish. :) My mantra over the coming weeks, is if CB didn’t design it, I am not going to devour it ! Cheers, Happy Holidays !! –Robbie “Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.”
― Ruth ReichlReplyCancel

Enid -Hi Carrie! I just watched the video of you and Johnathan making the peanut butter icecream.. You added a protein to it but didn’t state what kind/brand of protein powder it was…can you share that with me please? and, HappyNewYear!! :)ReplyCancel

Scott McClintock -Thx for your many contributions! I’m brand new to this and eating sanely on the road is still very challenging for me. I’m on the road for 3 nights next week and I don’t have the ability to cook in hotel room. Your website is a God send for me!ReplyCancel

Shawna -Hi, Carrie,
Thank you for having the courage to share your journeys thus far, and for being such a helpful and hopeful mentor. I am taking them in gradually but learning, enjoying and reflecting very much as I do. <3
Now a food-related question. I am going to try and make my own tonic water in the near future. Part of the recipe calls for simple syrup. Have you ever attempted making simple syrup with a non-sugar product? I would love it if you said Xylitol worked, but would appreciate your opinion either way.ReplyCancel

Elizabeth -I am new to this whole SANE idea but I am desperate for a new way to look at food due to personal and health reason I love your humor it warms my heart and had inspired me so thank you does not sum up the gratitude I am feeling at this momentReplyCancel

Janet Raciti -I have your soup and ice cream cookbooks. How do I convert grams of Xylitol to cups? How much is 200 grams (7 oz) of Xyla in cups? Thank you!ReplyCancel

Helen -Hi Carrie,

Just love all the recipes I have tried so far, when my son does his next Amazon purchase I am ordering your Soups and Sides Cookbooks.

I would love you to bring out a Salad cookbook, any possibility of that?

carrie-Helen – anything is possible! Salads are on the list. THANK YOU so much for your support :-)ReplyCancel

Anna-Hi Carrie,
Can we please get your permission to use the photo above of the cupboard on our retail packaging for pantry moth? If yes can you please send us a picture without the watermark and your address so we can send you a free kit once we get the boxes printed? Thank you so much Anna Hermosillo 562-964-0404ReplyCancel

Connie -Hey Carrie, I have been following SANE eating since Dec 26, 2014. I lost 25 pounds quickly, but now I am stuck and not losing any more weight. I follow your recipes and just can’t seem to jump start the weight loss or drop my set point any more. Any suggestions to get me losing again? Thank you!!!ReplyCancel

Deb Savoie -Hi Carrie,
Still working away at trying new SANE recipes. The chocolate cookies are so amazing they taste like fudge! Question, I made two attempts at baking the scones and they turn out flat as pancakes. The second time I followed recipe and ingredients to the T. What am I doing wrong?

carrie-Deb – how old is your baking powder? Have you calibrated your oven lately to check it is the right temperature as you set on the controls? Are you baking the scones as soon as you have them made? Those are the first few things that pop into my head.ReplyCancel

Joaquim -Hi Carrie,

My name is Quim (read Kim) from Barcelona (Spain). I am reading the Bailor’s book, and I have just found your extremely interesting blog. I will follow it from now on. Thank you for the tough work.ReplyCancel

Susan Butler -I have your ice cream book and am dying to try some of your recipes. However, my husband is allergic to coconut which, obviously, severely limits making any of these recipes. Can a different type of milk be substituted; i.e., regular milk or almond milk, in all of the recipes that require coconut milk on a one-for-one basis?

Katrina -I’ve brought your drink smarter bevenge book, but I have question. For coffee lattes, the suggestion mention to use one cup of coffee, but I only have espresso. Can I use espresso, if I don’t have regular coffee? And how many shots of espresso should I add?ReplyCancel

Nikki -Hi, my Aunt recommended I check out your website. I am newly vegan, and I am looking to adapt old non-vegan, not-necessarily-healthy recipes into Whole Food Plant Based recipes.

I am also starting a blog about the transition into a healthy vegan lifestyle, so I would like to include new recipes on my site as well.

I was wondering if you could refer me to some of your own posts that may be helpful, or perhaps some other resources that could make this transition a lot easier.

About to order your new ice cream cookbook from Amazon. While I’m at it, should I order glycerin (am guessing this is an ingredient for the ice creams)? What other items (those not commonly available at grocery stores) should I order so when I get the book I can start making my first batch of ice cream right away?ReplyCancel

First Steps – Keto Sarah C-[…] FINALLY taken to figure out my bullshit life and try to make it make some sense. Thanks to one Ms. Carrie Brown, I have to face that dirty 4-letter word: hope. I’ve held on to hope so many times before, […]ReplyCancel

Scott Diener -Carrie, I love your recipes.

One thing that I would love your expertise on is pizza crust.

Have you though about taking fathead pizza recipe and reworking it?

I love fathead pizza dough, and I have taken the advise of people and tweeked it. I took out the egg and added a little xanthan gum. We are looking for a dough basically that will work for pizza crust and other things like pretzels.

Max -Hi, I’m so inspired by your story. You’ve given me a real sense of hope. I’m 25 I was diagnosed schizoaffective in 2013. Been on meds since I was 16. Been in 3 psychosis. The last time I spent 3 nights in the woods naked with no clothes and no food fighting a war between god and the devil. I thought it was my job to travel to the other side of the world and save humanity. I remember laying down on my back in the middle of highway because I thought I was immortal. Ems found me 3 days later and I spent 90 days locked up in a psych ward with big men tackling me and shooting me up with thorazine. It was so scary. When I go into psychosis I completely leave reality. It’s like being in a video game and theres no escape. I can’t believe I survived 2015. I shouldn’t be alive. The unique thing about this is that I was gluten, dairy, and soy free for 3 months. one day I had dish laced with soy and msg. 2 hours later I was on my floor crying hysterically and throwing up telling god i’m sorry for eating soy. i knew it was toxic. This was beyond an anxiety attack. It was torture. Anyways thats a little bit about my story. But Id really like to do what you do and get off these meds. I want what you have thank you so much.ReplyCancel

K -I wanted to say thank you. I saw your talk on bipolar and decided to get tested and found that I have the same deficiency. I have struggled all my life with depression, suicide, bipolar and I am on the same medication you spoke about. I just learned about a keto diet and plan to begin immediately and while I have found it very challenging to find someone – work with a professional about using Thorne products instead of the bipolar meds. I can’t share how deeply grateful I am to you, that you shared your story and to know that I’m not crazy, that I can have a “normal” life and that there really is hope. God Bless. I am going to buy every one of your books as soon as I can save up! Thank you again.ReplyCancel

Yogi -Ms. Carry Brown,
Thank you so much for all you and your team do, I have learned so much and try to apply your KETO cooking principles to the meals that I make as best I can. I am a long haul trucker, so my resources are limited when it comes to food selection, cooking equipment and time, but I have been able to make versions of your recipes from the Keto Crock Pot book that have really turned out great. I can’t always access all the ingredients you advocate, but I do my best with the gorilla kitchen I have set up in my truck. One of my favorite dishes is the beef stew, I have had to modify a bit, because I am not allowed to legally have alcohol on the truck, and do to limited equipment selection, I turned the recipe to a one pot meal, using an InstaPot to sauté everything before using the slow cook function. I have lost over 50 lbs since turning to the Keto lifestyle, and although I still have a long way to go, I am feeling better, and I attribute a lot of the success to you, Byron and Darnell?! I am writing because I would like some advice, I am working on a Keto cookbook designed specifically for truckers. We work in one of the unhealthiest occupations there is, with detrimental health factors due to erratic and poor sleep patterns, horrible nutrition options, long sedentary periods as well as constant exposure to toxic chemicals and air. The Keto diet is one of the easiest to maintain on the road, so I want to write a book that describes how to set up a gorilla kitchen, best devices to use, recipe guides and meal plans, (due to limited access to ingredients, the recipes must be flexible and easy to modify and adapt, simple, and more about the techniques and equipment to make the dish,rather than strict ingredient guidelines). I will also address eating out, suggestions of what to order where and how to prep your truck with healthy foods before venturing out. Also tips for exercising on the road, which I would love feedback from Darnell. I was wondering if I could send you recipes and get your feedback, I have never written a cookbook before, and learned how to cook while camping, so I am not exactly precise on how to do this. I wouldn’t mind if you use any good ideas I might come up with for your sites, in exchange for feedback and advice. I would like to publish this book digitally, and have the proceeds benefit an organization like Truckers Against Trafficking. The other thing is that I would love to send you a lunchbox oven, a common device many truckers use to make food, so that you can see what we are working with. If you give me a P.O. Box or something to send it to, I will order it from Amazon and have it shipped to you. You guys really are a lifesaver, so again thank you.
Big YogiReplyCancel

Roger Godreault -just bought your The Keto Ice Cream Scoop and looking for the nutrition facts on your recipes in the book….ReplyCancel

Elissa -Just came across your site! Do you deliver ice cream!? 😁
Will definitely be going thru your blogs! Ty!ReplyCancel

Gladys -DEAR CARRIE,

PLEASE E MAIL AN ADDRESS I CAN WRITE TO.
THE 2 KETO DUDES SITE IS NON FUNCTIONAL, IN TERMS OF WRITING TO
THEM.

I HAVE A MAGNIFICENT PATE A CHOUX RECIPE FOR YOU…WHERE EACH
AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS CREAM PUFF IS ONLY 3 GRAMS CARBS…AND TASTES IDENTICAL TO THE HIGH CARB VERSION. I AM EAGER TO SHARE THIS RECIPE WITH YOU.

IT IS TOO LONG TO POST HERE.
IN THIS LITTLE BOX.

THIS IS THE 2ND TIME I TRY TO GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU.
GLADYS O’BRIEN,
TORONTO, CANADA.ReplyCancel

Jenny Weber -Hi Carrie!
Interested in hearing more about your bi-polar II and how KETO helped.